St Ives, Cornwall (She Who Hesitates)

There was an opportunity, but the SconeLady was afraid. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rumpleproofskin/107685167/

It was our first full day in St Ives Cornwall, and we were out roaming the place. The beauty of it had us amazed, even a bit mesmerized. The water along the cobbled shore road was filled with boats of all kinds, and the tide was in. We were holding ice creams.

"How about a touring boat ride?" said a voice from behind us. We turned to see a smiling, somewhat grizzled and sunburned man standing next to a makeshift counter. "We have openings for this afternoon!"

The outing would be a sedate 45 minute ride, the skipper taking us along the shore to see an island of seals. What could be easier?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/john47kent/3252655300/

But I glanced anxiously out at the water. "Will the seas be rough?" I asked. "Do people sometimes get - umm, seasick?" It was my nemesis.

He followed my gaze, and shrugged. "Oh, sometimes they do. But not on a day like today, I shouldn't think."

This was only slightly reassuring. It seemed to me that I could see a little - even just a very little - bit of a wave going on out there. I hesitated. "I'm afraid I will get sick.. will the boat come back if I do?"

The man chuckled (bad sign). "Well now, no, we don't exactly , ah, come back when the customers get sick. Everyone else has paid, you see.." 

I felt deflated. "Well then, we can go maybe tomorrow, or next week," I said hopefully. "I'm sure the ocean will be much calmer then."

The ocean was, in all honesty, calm right then and there. Just a ripple, perhaps. The skipper looked at me kindly, but with an eye that said he knew a real tourist when he saw one. My husband would have gone out in that boat, or in any boat at the drop of a hat. But he said he would wait until we could both go.

The waters were calm, as far as the eye could see.

Next day, the makeshift counters along the lane were all abandoned. No skippers about, no friendly invitations to sign up. It was all so beautiful, so calm, and so windless that even the most fearful boat rider would come through unscathed. A whole lot of early birds had seen this before us and signed up, taking all available spots on all available boats.

Poor the SconeLady! and her husband. We never did get onto a boat, not for the whole three weeks. On nice days, they were booked. On windy days, no skipper ventured out (they said the customers got 'squeamish' about being sick - I knew I wasn't the only squeamish one!). 

But we sat near enough that water every day to almost make up for our lack of a boat ride. And as for me, I resolved to take my opportunities as they came, from now on. 

For she who hesitates, is lost.


See you along the way!
the SconeLady

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rumpleproofskin/107685167/">Del Adams</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/john47kent/3252655300/">john47kent</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>